Nature Environment and Pollution Technology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Factor Selection Study to Determine the Sediment Source of a Small Watershed in the Loess Plateau Based on the Multi-element Tracer Technique


Affiliations
1 State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
 

Tracer techniques, such as the multi-element tracer technique, have been studied in recent decades to determine their effectiveness in estimating the sediment sources in the Loess plateau. The first step in studying sediment sources using the multi-element tracer technique is to screen for indicating factors; however, few studies have presented a reference of the trace elements that can be used in the study of sediment sources in the Loess plateau. Furthermore, because the loess deposition resulted from the long-term operation of wind power and loess is generally homologous, significant differences usually do not occur among the concentrations of the loess’ chemical elements. To determine obvious differences in the chemical element concentrations, additional factors must be selected. For our study site, we selected a typical small closed watershed in the Peng-yang region of the Ningxia Province in China, and 20 cm surface soil samples were collected at each of the following five geographical locations: (i) ridge, (ii) hill slope, (iii) shoulder line of the valley, (iv) channel slope and (v) area in front of the dam. A neutron activation analysis was then performed, and 31 major soil constituents were detected in the standards and soil samples. The results showed that marked differences occurred among the concentrations of Eu, Fe, Al, Co, Cs, Hf, Sc, Th, Cr, Rb and Mn. And combining a previous study, we suggest that the soil nutrient index, soil magnetic susceptibility and soil concentrations of Al, Eu, Cs, Hf, Sc, Co, Th, Cr, Rb,137Cs, 7Be, 210Pb and 226Ra can be used as indicating factors in the study of sediment sources in the Loess plateau.

Keywords

Tracer Element, Multi-Element Tracer Technique, Sediment Source, Loess Plateau.
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Betson, R.P. and Marius, J.B. 1969. Source areas of storm runoff. Water Resources Research, 5: 574-582.

  • Brown, A. 1985. The potential use of pollen in the identification of suspended sediment sources. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 10: 27-32.

  • Burch, G.J., C.J.B., I.D., Moore, R.D., Barling, D.J. and Mackenzie, J.M. 1988. Detection and prediction of sediment sources in catchments: Use of 7Be and 137Cs Proceedings, Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium. Australian National University, Canberra

  • Douglas, G., Palmer, M. and Caitcheon, G. 2003. The provenance of sediments in Moreton Bay, Australia: a synthesis of major, trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic geochemistry, modelling and landscape analysis, the Interactions between sediments and water. Springer, pp. 145-152.

  • Grimshaw, D. and Lewin, J. 1980. Source identification for suspended sediments. Journal of Hydrology, 47: 151-162.

  • Hadley, R. and Schumm, S. 1961. Sediment sources and drainage basin characteristics in upper Cheyenne River basin. US Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper, 1531: 198.

  • Hawkes, H.E. and Webb, J.S. 1962. Geochemistry in mineral exploration. Soil Science, 95(4): 283.

  • Leopold, L.B. 1968. Hydrology for Urban Land Planning: A Guidebook on the Hydrologic Effects of Urban Land Use.

  • Mabit, L., Benmansour, M. and Walling, D. 2008. Comparative advantages and limitations of the fallout radionuclides 137Cs, 210Pbex and 7Be for assessing soil erosion and sedimentation. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 99: 1799-1807.

  • Mattigod, S., Rai, D., Eary, L. and Ainsworth, C. 1990. Geochemical factors controlling the mobilization of inorganic constituents from fossil fuel combustion residues: I. Review of the major elements. Journal of Environmental Quality, 19: 188-201.

  • Olley, J., Murray, A., Mackenzie, D. and Edwards, K. 1993. Identifying sediment sources in a gullied catchment using natural and anthropogenic radioactivity. Water Resources Research, 29: 1037-1043.

  • Peart, M. and Walling, D. 1988. Techniques for establishing suspended sediment sources in two drainage basins in Devon, UK: a comparative assessment. In: Sediment Budgets. IAHS Publication.

  • Schuler, C., Wieland, E., Santschi, P.H., Sturm, M., Lueck, A., Bollhalder, S., Beer, J., Bonani, G., Hofmann, H.J., Suter, M. and Wolfli, W. 1991. A multitracer study of radionuclides in Lake Zurich, Switzerland: 1. Comparison of atmospheric and sedimentary fluxes of 7Be, 10Be, 210Pb, 210Po, and 137Cs. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 96: 17051-17065.

  • Song, W. and Liu, P. 2002. Application of nuclides on studies of soil erosion. Research of Soil and Water Conservation, 9: 17-21.

  • Sun, L., Hu, S., Zhang, Y., Li, S., Zhao, E. and Yu, J. 2009. Application of tracer techniques to study soil erosion. Guangxi Agricultural Sciences, 40(8): 1040-1043.

  • Tian, J., Zhou, P.H. and Liu, P. 1992. A preliminary report of REE tracer method for soil erosion. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 6: 23-27.

  • Wall, G. and Wilding, L. 1976. Mineralogy and related parameters of fluvial suspended sediments in northwestern Ohio. Journal of Environmental Quality, 5: 168-173.

  • Wallbrink, P., Murray, A., Olley, J. and Olive, L. 1998. Determining sources and transit times of suspended sediment in the Murrumbidgee River, New South Wales, Australia, using fallout 137Cs and 210Pb. Water Resources Research, 34: 879-887.

  • Wallbrink, P., Olley, J. and Murray, A. 1999. Relating suspended sediment to its original soil depth using fallout radionuclides. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 63: 369-378.

  • Walling, D., He, Q. and Blake, W. 1999. Use of 7Be and 137Cs measurements to document short and medium term rates of water induced soil erosion on agricultural land. Water Resources Research, 35: 3865-3874.

  • Walling, D. and Peart, M. 1979. Suspended sediment sources identified by magnetic measurements. Nature, 281: 110-113.

  • Walling, D. and Woodward, J. 1992. Use of radiometric fingerprints to derive information on suspended sediment sources. Erosion and Sediment Transport Monitoring Programmes in River Basins, 210: 153-164.

  • Wang, Y.C., Zhang, X.B. and Long, L.S. 1991. A study on 137Cs method used in controlling erosion on the Loess Mao (round loess mound) and slopes. Bulletin of Soil and Water Conservation, 11: 34-37.

  • Xiong, D. 1990. Investigation on silt source of Po Yang lake and recent sediment regularity of the lake basin. Oceanologia Et Limnologia Sinica, 21: 374-385.

  • Yang, M.Y., Tian, J. and Liu, P. 1997. A primary report of soil erosion spatial variation feature on farmland slope by 137Cs. Research of Soil and Water Conservation, 4.

  • Yang, M.Y. and Xu, L. 2010. Fingerprinting suspended sediment sources in a small catchment on the Loess plateau. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 24: 30-34.

  • Zhang, X., Li, S.I. and Wang, C. 1989. A study on 137Cs method used in researching sediment source in the watershed of Loess plateau. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 3: 210-213.


Abstract Views: 245

PDF Views: 0




  • Factor Selection Study to Determine the Sediment Source of a Small Watershed in the Loess Plateau Based on the Multi-element Tracer Technique

Abstract Views: 245  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Ningning Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Puling Liu
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China

Abstract


Tracer techniques, such as the multi-element tracer technique, have been studied in recent decades to determine their effectiveness in estimating the sediment sources in the Loess plateau. The first step in studying sediment sources using the multi-element tracer technique is to screen for indicating factors; however, few studies have presented a reference of the trace elements that can be used in the study of sediment sources in the Loess plateau. Furthermore, because the loess deposition resulted from the long-term operation of wind power and loess is generally homologous, significant differences usually do not occur among the concentrations of the loess’ chemical elements. To determine obvious differences in the chemical element concentrations, additional factors must be selected. For our study site, we selected a typical small closed watershed in the Peng-yang region of the Ningxia Province in China, and 20 cm surface soil samples were collected at each of the following five geographical locations: (i) ridge, (ii) hill slope, (iii) shoulder line of the valley, (iv) channel slope and (v) area in front of the dam. A neutron activation analysis was then performed, and 31 major soil constituents were detected in the standards and soil samples. The results showed that marked differences occurred among the concentrations of Eu, Fe, Al, Co, Cs, Hf, Sc, Th, Cr, Rb and Mn. And combining a previous study, we suggest that the soil nutrient index, soil magnetic susceptibility and soil concentrations of Al, Eu, Cs, Hf, Sc, Co, Th, Cr, Rb,137Cs, 7Be, 210Pb and 226Ra can be used as indicating factors in the study of sediment sources in the Loess plateau.

Keywords


Tracer Element, Multi-Element Tracer Technique, Sediment Source, Loess Plateau.

References